Atlanta Daily World

Rival
For Pretty Coed's Hand
Florida Youth
Held In Jail
Without Bond

(SNS) The tragic aftermath of bitter rivalry for the affection of a freshman coed: Robert James, 17, a high school senior of Tuskegee Institute, Ala., was dead from a knife wound in his heart and Macon County police Saturday were holding eighteen-year-old John H. Thompson, a sophomore college student of West Palm Beach, Fla., in the county jail without bond in the fatal stabbing Thursday night.

Funeral services for James, whom school officials described as one of the best liked students in the high school, were held Saturday afternoon. Interment was in Tuskegee.

The events leading up to the slaying were detailed to newspapermen by school officials Saturday.

Thompson, it was said, had met the girl, who is also from Florida, when both were passengers on the same train en route to enroll for the fall school term. He had immediately assumed the role of protector and had been her escort at various school activities throughout the year.

James, an outstanding athlete, a member of both the football and basketball teams, was also attracted to the charming freshman girl whose name was withheld by school authorities.

The rivals met at a dining hall during the noon hour the day of the slaying and after a brief exchange of words, were seen to shake hands. Fellow students seeing the act came to the conclusion that the two had reached an understanding.

It was a brief three hours later at the supper hour when Thompson was again seen with the girl. James walked in the dining hall and began talking to her. As she arose to leave, James was seen to grasp her by the arm, asking "May I assist you?"

Thompson stalked out of the room, apparently angered.

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Tuskegee Prep Slain
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Later as James walked toward the library with the girl, Thompson, who is an agricultural student assigned to the floricultural department, called the high school youth to him, witnesses said.

BLADE PENETRATES HEART

Just as James approached, Thompson whipped out a knife, used to prune flowers, and plunged it into the youth's left breast, the blade penetrating his heart.

James staggered to the street and attempted to hail a passing automobile to carry him to the school hospital. After several had passed, a faculty member seeing the wounded boy's condition, placed him in a car and rushed him to the hospital where he died a few minutes after admission.

Thompson, officials said, walked to the office of Dean E. H. Adams, where he surrendered, handing him the death weapon.

Later Macon County police were called and he was lodged in the county jail at Tuskegee, without bail to await action of the grand jury, not scheduled to convene until January.

BETTER THAN AVERAGE STUDENT

Thompson, it was revealed, was an unusual student and had come to the institution with a fine recommendation from the West Palm Beach high school from which he graduated.

He had maintained better than average grades at Tuskegee, it was disclosed, and was a member of the institute's crack band, playing a clarinet.

The jailed youth's mother arrived at Tuskegee Friday night, and attempting to explain her son's action, disclosed that he had often become subject to temperamental fits.

He was described as being extremely nervous and a possessor of a "quick temper."

The slaying was described by President F. D. Patterson Saturday morning as "a most unfortunate incident." He asserted that both the victim and the slayer had never been the subjects of disciplinary action and was at a loss to explain the knife attack.

It was at Dr. Patterson's request that the name of the third member of the triangle, the 17-year-old coed, was withheld.